Chain form clip



g 1967 M. E. HETZEL ETAL CHAIN FORM CLIP Filed Sept. 13, 1965 INVENTORS MARVIN E HETZEL JOSEPH J. CERVENKA BY w ww wf ATTO R N EYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,338,689 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 3,338,689 CHAIN FORM CLIP Marvin E. Hetzel, 1825 S. 49th Ave., Cicero, II]. 60650, and Joseph J. Cervenka, 410 S. Kenilworth, Elmhurst, Ill. 60126 Filed Sept. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 486,646 7 Claims. (Cl. 29-193.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A clip to be attached to a shield can for attaching the can to a support where clips may be formed in strip form.

This invention relates in general to a can retaining clip to be mounted on shield cans for enabling the cans to be attached to chasis plates, and more particularly to a continuous strip of can retaining clips arranged in side-byside relation for use in a machine that continuously applies clips to shield cans, and still more particularly to a can retaining clip that may be directly connected to a shield can.

Heretofore, can retaining clips have been made as individual units and not connected together in strip form, and have also required a separate fastener to mount same on a shield can. Further, to form the can retaining clips heretofore developed, additional metal forming steps have been necessary such as in the clip shown and described in the Johnson Patent 2,531,911, granted Nov. 28, 1950.

It is therefore an object of this invention to obviate the above named difliculties and provide a new and improved can retaining clip.

Another object of this invention is in the provision of a can retaining clip for mounting on a shield can to attach the can to a chasis plate, wherein the clip includes a self-contained fastening element for fastening same to the can.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of a can retaining clip that can be made in strip form for subsequent mounting on shield cans by a clip applying machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide a method of making a continuous strip of can retaining clips for mounting on shield cans to secure same to chassis plates.

A still further object of this invention is in the provision of a method of making a continuous strip of can retaining clips for mounting on shield cans to secure same to chassis plates, including the steps of repeatedly shielding, drawing and forming at equally spaced positions along a strip of sheet metal to form equally spaced clips.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a part of the continuous strip of can retaining clips according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a can retaining clip according to the present invention after it has been stamped from the continuous strip shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a shield can and chassis plate, wherein a can retaining clip according to the present invention is shown mounted on a can and in operation to retain the can to the chassis plate;

FIG. 5 is a view taken substantially along line 55 of FIG. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows to show the can retaining clip in side elevational view; and

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, a can retaining clip according to the present invention, generally designated by the numeral 10, is shown as it would appear if stamped from the continuous strip of can retaining clips 11 shown in FIG. 1. The can retaining clip 10 includes generally a fastener forming portion 12 having leg portions 13 extending therefrom and terminating in latching portions 14.

The fastener forming portion includes a sleeve 15 in the form of a cylindrical member having a circumferential flange 16 at one end thereof and extending normal to the sleeve. The sleeve 15 has a terminal end 15a spaced from the peripheral flange 16, and also defines an opening through the flange designated by the numeral 15b.

A pair of leg portions 13 including legs 17 and 18 extend downwardly from the flange 16 and in diverging relationship. The latching portions 14 are arranged on the terminal ends of the legs 17 and 18 and are also arranged in the same plane as the peripheral flange 16. Further, the legs 17 and 18 are bowed outwardly from the plane of the flange 16 and the latching portions 14 to form an arcuate connection between the flange and the latching portions. A reinforcing cross arm 19 extends between the legs 17 and 18.

The latching-portions 14 include a rounded nose 20 having extending upwardly therefrom and away from the center of the clip a camming surface 21 which terminates at its upper end in a latching lip 22.

In order to properly position a can retaining clip on a can and prevent relative movement between the clip and the can, a positioning detent or tab 23 extends in the same direction as the sleeve 15 from the flange 16.

The continuous strip form of retaining clips 11 is made by repeatedly shearing, drawing, and forming at equally spaced positions along a strip of sheet metal. While any type of sheet metal may be employed, it has been found that stainless steel is satisfactory to provide the proper qualities for the clip of the present invention. In the making of the continuous strip form of retaining clips, the leg portions 13 and flange 16 are sheared from the metal strip, and forming operations are applied to the leg portions 13 to bend them in theshape shown in FIG. 3. The positioning detent 23 is formed by a shear forming action. Thus, the positioning tab 23 is struck from the flange 16. The sleeve 15 is formed by drawing same from the flange area. As seen in FIG. 1, the latching portions 14 are not formed and these are formed at the time the clips are applied to a shield can by a suitable stamping operation. Further, it is seen that indexing holes 24 are provided in a connecting strip portion 25 for indexing or feeding of the strip form of clips in the clip applying machine. It can further be appreciated that the strip form may be quite long and therefore it is adaptable to be wound in coil form on spools for storage and use thereafter.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show can retaining clips 10 according to the present invention mounted on a shield can 26 and also the manner in which the clips 10 secure the can to a chassis plate 27. The can retaining clips are mounted on opposite side walls 28 of the can, which side walls are provided with a first hole 29 and a second hole 20, FIG. 6. In applying a can retaining clip to a can, the clip is applied wherein the sleeve 15 enters the hole 29 and the flange 16 abuts against the outer side of the can side wall 28. Also the clip is oriented so that the positioning detent 23 enters the second hole 30 which is much smaller in size and thereby prevents relative rotation or movement between the clip and the can. After the clip has been properly positioned, the terminal end of the sleeve 15 is deformed as shown in FIG. 6 to essentially provide a a 3 locking flange 31 abutting against the inside of the wall 28 and coacting with the flange 16 to lock the clip to the side wall of the can.

As seen in .FIGS. 4 and 5, a can with clips mounted thereon is secured to a chassis plate 27. The chassis plate 27 is provided with a pair of spaced slots 32 and 33 adapted to receive the latching portions 14 of the clip, wherein the latching portions are cammed toward one another during insertion into the openings until the latching lips 22 engage the underside of the chassis plate as shown. This securely locks the shield can to the chassis plate.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention, but it is understood that this application is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A continuous strip of retaining clips arranged in side-by-side relation for mounting on shield cans to enable the cans to be secured to a chassis plate, said strip comprising a continuous flat strip feeding portion having the retaining clips extending from one edge thereof and adapted to have latching portions stamped therefrom for securing a can to a chassis plate, each clip including a pair of converging outwardly bowed legs extending from the flat portion and having connected to their ends a fastener forming portion, said fastener forming portion including a flange adapted to abut against one side of a can and coplanar with said flat portion and a sleeve extending from the flange and nor-ma] thereto adapted to be received in a hole in the can, and the free end of the sleeve adapted to be deformed against the other side of the can to coact with the flange and secure the clip to the can.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1, and an indexing hole in said flat portion adjacent each clip.

3. A continuous strip of retaining clips arranged in side-by-side relation for mounting on shield cans to enable the cans to be secured to a chassis plate, said strip comprising a continuous flat strip feeding portion having the retaining clips extending from one edge thereof and adapted to have latching portions stamped therefrom for securing a can to a chassis plate, each clip including a pair of converging outwardly bowed legs extending from the flat portion and having connected to their ends a fastener forming portion, said fastener forming portion including a flange adapted to abut against one side of a can and coplanar with said flat portion and a sleeve extending from the flange and normal thereto adapted to be received in a hole in the can, and the free end of the sleeve adapted to be deformed against the other side of the can to coact with the flange and secure the clip to the can, and a detent portion struck from said flange in the same direction as said sleeve and adapted to be freely received in an opening in the can to prevent relative movement between the can and clip.

4. A series of side-by-side identical partially formed can retaining clips joined by a long strip adapted to be wound in coil form on a spool, said clips adapted to be mounted on shield cans for securing same to chassis plates, each clip comprising a fastener forming portion including a sleeve adapted to be received in a hole in the can and a peripheral flange at one end of the sleeve to abut against one side of the can around the hole and the other end of the sleeve adapted to be deformed to abut against the other side of the can and coact with said flange to secure the clip to the can, a detent portion struck from said flange in the same direction as said sleeve and adapted to be freely received in an opening in the can to prevent relative movement between the can and clip, a pair of leg portions diverging from said flange and bowed outwardly from the plane of the flange, said leg portions attached to said strip, and a latching portion at the terminal end of each leg portion for telescopic latching engagement with an opening in said chassis plate adapted to be stamped from said strip.

5. A can retaining clip for use in strip form in a clip applying machine to be mounted on shield cans to enable the cans to be secured to a chassis plate, said clip comprising a fastener forming portion including a sleeve adapted to be received in a hole in the can and a peripheral flange at one end of the sleeve to abut against one side of the can around the hole and the other end of the sleeve adapted to be deformed to abut against the other side of the can and coact with said flange to secure the clip to the can, a detent portion struck from said flange in the same direction as said sleeve and adapted to be freely received in an opening in the can to prevent relative movement between the can and clip, a pair of leg portions diverging from said flange and bowed outwardly from the plane of the flange, and a connecting strip at the ends of said leg portions opposite said flange adapted to have a latching portion stamped therefrom for the terminal ends of said leg portions for telescopic latching engagement with an opening in said chassis plate.

6. A flat metal strip formed into a plurality of joined can retaining clips for mounting on shield cans to secure same to chassis plates, each clip comprising a fastener forming portion including a sleeve adapted to be received in a hole in the can and a peripheral flange at one end of the sleeve to abut against one side of the can around the hole and the other end of the sleeve adapted to be deformed to abut against the other side of the can and coact with said flange to secure the clip to the can, a detent portion struck from said flange in the same direction as said sleeve and adapted to be freely received in an opening in the can to prevent relative movement between the can and clip, a pair of leg portions diverging from said flange and bowed outwardly from the plane of the flange, and a latching portion at the terminal end of each leg portion to be formed from a connecting strip integral with the ends of the legs remote from said flange.

7. The method of making a continuous strip of can retaining clips for mounting on shield cans to secure same to chassis plates, including the steps of repeatedly shearing, drawing and forming at equally spaced positions along a strip of sheet metal to form equally spaced clips comprising a fastener forming portion having a drawn sleeve adapted to be received in a hole in the can and a sheared circumferential flange at one end of the sleeve to abut against one side of the can around the hole and the other end of the sleeve adapted to be deformed when mounting the clip on a can to abut against the other side of the can and coact with the flange to secure the clip to the can, a detent portion shear formed from said flange in the same direction as said sleeve and adapted to be freely received in an opening in the can to prevent relative movement between the can and clip, a pair of sheared leg portions diverging from said flange and formed to bow outwardly from the plane of the flange, and sheared connecting strip at the ends of the leg portions opposite the flange ends thereof adapted to have a latching portion stamped therefrom at the terminal ends of the leg portions for telescopic latching engagement with an opening in said chassis plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,215,918 9/1940 Fay 38-137 2,531,911 11/1950 Johnson 174-35 2,639,311 5/1953 Cook 174-35 ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

JOHN PETO, Examiner.

F. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CONTINUOUS STRIP OF RETAINING CLIPS ARRANGED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION FOR MOUNTING ON SHIELD CANS TO ENABLE THE CANS TO BE SECURED TO A CHASIS PLATE, SAID STRIP COMPRISING A CONTINUOUS FLAT STRIP FEEDING PORTION HAVING THE RETAINING CLIPS EXTENDING FROM ONE EDGE THEREOF AND ADAPTED TO HAVE LATCHING PORTIONS STAMPED THEREFROM FOR SECURING A CAN TO A CHASIS PLATE, EACH CLIP INCLUDING A PAIR OF CONVERGING OUTWARDLY BOWED LEGS EXTENDING FROM THE FLAT PORTION AND HAVING CONNECTED TO THEIR ENDS A FASTENER FORMING PORTION, SAID FASTENER FORMING PORTION INCLUDING A FLANGE ADAPTED TO ABUT AGAINST ONE SIDE OF A CAN AND COPLANAR WITH SAID FLAT PORTION AND A SLEEVE EXTENDING FROM THE FLANGE AND NORMAL THERETO ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED IN A HOLE IN THE CAN, AND THE FREE END OF THE SLEEVE ADAPTED TO BE DEFORMED AGAINST THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAN TO COACT WITH THE FLANGE AND SECURE THE CLIP TO THE CAN. 